Senecio plant named ‘Sunsenelibubi’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Senecio  plant named ‘Sunsenelibubi’, characterized by its compact, upright and mounded plant habit; freely branching growth habit; relatively small leaves; freely flowering habit; relatively long flowering period; and large daisy-type inflorescences with violet and white bi-colored ray florets and violet blue-colored disc florets.

Botanical designation: Senecio cruentus×Senecio heritieri.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SUNSENELIBUBI’.

Cross-referenced to related applications: Title: Senecio Plant Named ‘Sunseneribuba’. Applicant: Kiyoshi Miyazaki. Filed: Concurrently with this application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Senecio plant, botanically known as Senecio cruentus×Senecio heritieri, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Sunsenelibubi’.

The new Senecio is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Hokuto-shi, Yamanashi, Japan. The objective of the program is to create and develop new Senecio cultivars with uniformly mounded plant habit, freely flowering habit and attractive inflorescence coloration.

The new Senecio originated from a cross-pollination by the Inventor in January, 1995 of a proprietary selection of Senecio cruentus identified as code number BW20, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Senecio heritieri identified as code number E-21, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Senecio was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Hokuto-shi, Yamanashi, Japan.

Asexual reproduction of the new Senecio by terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan since March, 2004, has shown that the unique features of this new Senecio are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Senecio have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Sunsenelibubi’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Sunsenelibubi’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Senecio:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching growth habit.     -   3. Relatively small leaves.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Relatively long flowering period.     -   6. Large daisy-type inflorescences with violet and white         bi-colored ray florets and violet blue-colored disc florets.

Plants of the new Senecio differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Senecio are taller than plants of the         female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Senecio have smaller leaves than plants of         the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Senecio differ from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Senecio have larger leaves than plants of         the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Senecio and the male parent selection         differ in ray florets color as plants of the male parent         selection have solid violet blue-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Senecio differ from plants of Senecio cruentus×Senecio heritieri ‘Sunseneribuba’ primarily in ray floret color as plants of the new Senecio have lighter-colored ray florets than plants of ‘Sunseneribuba’.

Plants of the new Senecio can also be compared to plants of Senecio ‘Jupiter Blue-White’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan, plants of the new Senecio differed from plants of ‘Jupiter Blue-White’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Senecio were taller and had longer         internodes than plants of ‘Jupiter Blue-White’.     -   2. Plants of the new Senecio were more freely branching than         plants of ‘Jupiter Blue-White’.     -   3. Plants of the new Senecio had smaller leaves than plants of         ‘Jupiter Blue-White’.     -   4. Plants of the new Senecio flower earlier than plants of         ‘Jupiter Blue-White’.     -   5. Plants of the new Senecio had larger inflorescences than         plants of ‘Jupiter Blue-White’.     -   6. Plants of the new Senecio had longer peduncles than plants of         ‘Jupiter Blue-White’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Senecio. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Senecio.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sunsenelibubi’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical inflorescence and inflorescence buds of ‘Sunsenelibubi’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan during the winter in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Senecio production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 20° C. and night temperatures averaged 10° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were six month old when the photographs and description were taken.

-   Botanical classification: Senecio cruentus×Senecio heritieri     ‘Sunsenelibubi’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Senecio             cruentus identified as code number BW20, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Senecio             heritieri identified as code number E-21, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About one week at 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About four weeks at 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous, fleshy; light brown in             color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Compact, upright and mounded plant             habit. Inflorescences positioned well above the foliar             plane. Vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 30 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 31.2 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Quantity per plant: Freely branching,             about 16 lateral branches per plant. Length: About 17 cm.             Diameter: About 3.5 mm. Internode length: About 1.2 cm.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 146C.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:             About 5.8 cm. Width: About 6 cm. Shape: Roughly cordate with             shallow lobes. Apex: Obtuse to acute. Base: Cordate. Margin:             Shallowly lobed; crenate; slightly undulate. Texture, upper             surface: Sparsely pubescent. Texture, lower surface: Densely             pubescent. Venation pattern: Pinnate; reticulate. Color:             Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface: Close             to 137B; venation, close to 144D. Developing and fully             expanded foliage, lower surface: Close to 191B; venation,             close to 144D. Petiole length: About 6.9 cm. Petiole             diameter: About 2.2 mm. Petiole texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Sparsely pubescent. Petiole color, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 144D. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescence form with             elliptic-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences positioned above             the foliage, arising from leaf axils. Disc and ray florets             developing acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences face             mostly upright. Freely flowering habit with about 15             inflorescences developing per plant. Inflorescences             persistent.         -   Fragrance.—Faintly scented.         -   Flowering response.—In Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan, plants of             the new Senecio flower continuously from winter to late             spring. Inflorescences last about two weeks on the plant.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 7.8 mm. Diameter: About             7.2 mm. Shape: Globose. Color: Close to 144A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 7.3 cm. Depth (height):             About 1.3 cm. Disc diameter: About 1.1 cm.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Elliptic. Length: About 3.1 cm. Width:             About 1.1 cm. Apex: Truncate, rounded, emarginate or             praemorse. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Number of ray             florets per inflorescence: About 13 in a single whorl.             Color: When opening, upper surface: Towards the apex, close             to N88A; towards the base, close to 155C. When opening,             lower surface: Close to 91D. Fully opened, upper surface:             Towards the apex, close to N88B; towards the base, close to             155C. Towards the apex, color becoming closer to N87D with             development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 91D.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular; apex dentate, five-pointed.             Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 2.2 mm. Number of disc             floret per inflorescence: About 140. Color, immature: Close             to N89A. Color, mature: Close to N88A.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About twelve in a             single whorl. Length: About 7.8 mm. Width: About 2.5 mm.             Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Fused. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 5.3 cm. Diameter: About 1.6 mm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Close to N186C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Anther shape: Ellipsoidal. Anther color: Close to             N88A. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 14B.             Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets. Stigma             shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to N88A.         -   Seeds/fruits.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed on plants of the new Senecio. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Senecio have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Senecio. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Senecio have been observed     to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 0° C. to about 30° C. 

1. A new and distinct Senecio plant named ‘Sunsenelibubi’ as illustrated and described. 